Improved street-sweeper



@time @time sie @Wer/l :ROBERT Y. MCCONNELL AND GEORGE PRINGLE, OF ROCHESTER,

NEW YORK.

Letters' Patent No. 85,319, (Za-ted December 29, 1868.

rMPRovED STREET-SWEEPER.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making pan of the same.

To all whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that we, ROBERT Y. MoGoNNELL and Gnocn Pianeta, ofthe city of Rochester, in the State ofN ew York, have invented a new and useful. Street-Sweeper; and we do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal` section.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of the wheel B and clutch e.

Figure 4 is a view ofthe insideof the hub ofwheel B.

Figure l5 is a top view of the apron H2, and longitudinal section ofthe wings attached thereto.

Figure 6 is a top view fof the broom-shaft and driving-shaft c, showing the hub sustaining one end of the sustaining-bar x. l

The nature of our invention will be understood from the drawings and specifications.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use our invention, we will describe its construction and operation.

The frame A`is supported by two small wheels, C, in front, and two large wheels, B, in rear.

Across the frame A, both before and behind the rear wheels, we place a beam that extends out beyond the wheels B, and are connected together by a bridgetree, D, iig. l.

The wheels B run between the frame A and bridgetree D on axles, et, that only extend from the outside of the bridge-tree to the inside of the frame A, leaving a clear. space inside of the ame for the brooms E, iig. 2, to revolve. l

To the frame A, in front and rear of the wheels we suspend posts, F, which are connected together timbers, Gr, running longitudinally to theframe.

Between the timbers G and frame A, and on each side ofthe axle c, we also put posts, H, to strengthen the frame, and carry portions of the machinery, and between which the broom-shaft L moves-vertically.

We then put bridge-trees,A b and b2, between the posts H and F.

On the axle'a we place spur-Wheels, J, which mesh into pinions, k, on a shaft,4 c, supported by the bridgetree b.

The spur-wheels J are loose on the axles a, except when held by the clutch e,.g. 3,

The clutchl e is formed by a disk, which has a hub, f, fig. 3, on the insideof which a lever, g, figs. 1 and 2, is placed, and the edge of the hub is raised, so that it will not come ofi', but allow the hub to revolve.A

A pin, h., lig. 3, isriveted to the disk e, and extends through a hole in the spur-wheel J into the ratchet recesses in the hub of the wheel B, shown in fig. 4.

lllhis clutch is held in its place and operated in substantially the saine manner as set forth in ourpatent, dated December l0, 1867.

We prefer attaching it to the spur-wheel instead of .the pinion, as set forth in that patent, as, by throwing the spur-wheel out of gear, all the machinery is stopped, when it is desired to cease sweeping while the machine is moving.

The shaft L is connected to the shaft c by the chainbelt a2, by which 'it receives motion. They are also connected and sustained by the adjustable bars x, figs. l and 6. v These adjustable bars a; are piyoted, at the end next to the drivingshaft c, on a hub, n, on the box s of the shaft c, shown V'iii iig. (5, so as to relieve the strain that would be otheifwise on the shaft c, that arises when the brooms are in motion.

' The owcr end ofthe adjustable bar x is connected to a -bc l-crank, A, figs'l and 2, which is pivoted tov the bridge-tree b2, and operated vertically by the rod c2 and rocking-shaft c, figs. 1 and 2, so that the shaft L can be raised or lowered to accommodate the wear of the brooms.

To the front part ofthe frame' A we pivot the dustpan G2, figs. 1 and 2, which is sustained and operated as set forth in our patent, datedDecember 10, 1867.

In rear of the dust-pan G, and on the posts F, we piyotan apron, H', byy means of a shaft, K2, as shown in g. 2.

The shaft K2 is vertically adjustable by means of the connecting-rod x2, bell-crank a, and rock-shaft y.

The rear end of the apron is sustained by a chain, R.

By this arrangement, -at any time, if the dirt should clog on the apron HZ, the driver can raise up the front edge, and it will easily discharge any clogging dirt without moving-the dust-pan.

The apron H? is composed of' a bottom, y, and wings, y, one of the wings and part of the bottom being shown in fig. 5.

The wings project in the rear, beyond the bottom, nearly-to the brooms, and are bevelled, as shown in fig. 2, so that the edge of the bottom may rest on the surface of the road when the machine is in operation.

The'wings ya are made thick at or near the edge of the bottom, and tapered to the front and rear, as shown in iig. 5, so as to make the space where the dust passes over the apron less than the length of the broom.

By this arrangementthe dirt, being driven by the brooms past the projection, if -any should fall back, it isin reach of the brooms, and again picked up, thereby preventing any possible chance of the dirt falling out beyond the end ofthe broom.v

The edge o f the apron H2 is set a distance from the brooms, that any dirtfalling back will be again picked up and forced over the apron into the dust-pan, and not fall'on the apron. If it is placed near the broom, we nd by experience the dust will not pass freely over the apron, but keep accumulating until it interferes with the brooms and clogs them, without any great amount going over into the dust-pan.

By placing as above, a large :portion of the dirt is up again hy the broom, thus preventing the clogging that take-s place by having thelower edge of the apron near the brooms. The front edge ofthe apron is raised sufficiently above the rear to assist the dirt, which will not pass over, to fall back within reach lof the 4 brooms The pei-ation of this machine is as follows:

The machine being drawn forward, the spur-Wheel .l is thrown into gear by means of the clutch c, and gives motion to the shaft c, which, by the 'belt a?, drives the broom-shaft inthe direction of the red arrows, and the brooms pick up the dirt, and' throw a portion over the apron H2 into the dust-pan. A part oil the dirt will generally fallback, which is again picked np by the brooms. Y The `wings on the apron confine the dirt so that it cannot get out'at the sides, and, being the shape shown in fig. 5, contractthe apron Within the ends of the brooms, and cause' any dirt that falls back to be within their track. When the dust-pan is full, it is raised independently of the apron, as shown in dotted lines, iig. 2, and the dust is dis'- charged.

If, at any time, damp dirt adheres to the apron, the driver can raise the front edge by the rook-shaft y, bell-crank x, and conneotingrod x, so that it Will slide oi.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1 The application of the projecting contracting wings 'ya to the plate y2 of apron H2, for the purposes herein shown and described.

2. The relative arrangement of. apron H? with the broom-shaft L, operating substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

' ROBT. Y. MCGONNELL.

GEORGE PRINGLE. Witnesses:

J As. L. GAGE, WM. S. LoUGHBoRoUGH. 

